Gordon Brown plans troops surge in Afghanistan

• 2,000 more soldiers for Helmand
• Review comes after bloodiest day

Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 11 July 2009: A British soldier from the Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) takes position during a patrol in a Taliban-held area during operation Panther's Claw Photograph: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

Thousands more troops could be sent to Afghanistan within months under an emergency review of the UK mission being carried out by the Ministry of Defence.

The news of a possible troop surge comes after eight British soldiers were killed within 24 hours, leading to fresh calls from senior military and political figures for urgent reinforcements - and an end to Treasury constraints on spending on the Afghan war. Fifteen British soldiers have died during the first 11 days of July, with the total of 184 deaths surpassing the 179 killed in Iraq. Two of the soldiers who died on Thursday have been named as Daniel Hume, 22, from 4th Bn, The Rifles, and John Brackpool of the Prince of Wales's Company, 1st Bn Welsh Guards, who would have celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday.

Private Brackpool, a father-of-one, died from a gunshot wound following a battle near Lashkar Gah with insurgents who attacked a compound seized as part of Operation Panther's Claw, a major offensive against the Taliban. He was described by his platoon commander, Lieutenant Dave Harris, as a "genuine, compassionate and likeable man" who had given his life protecting his comrades. The parents of Rifleman Hume, killed in an explosion while on foot patrol near Nad-e-Ali in Helmand province, last night said that their son had "found his place in the world." "Daniel passed out of Catterick as top recruit and since joining the army he was the happiest we had known him," said Adrian and Wendy Hume. "He believed in what the British army was trying to achieve and was confident. He was proud to serve his country and was planning to move battalion when he returned, so that he could guarantee a speedy return to Afghanistan. We have lost a son and a best friend. His death has left a huge void in our lives. We are fiercely proud of him."

Last night, Barack Obama said his heart went out to the families of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. In an interview to be broadcast on Sky News today he said: "Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition, understanding that we cannot allow either Afghanistan or Pakistan to be a safe haven for al-Qaida, those who with impunity blow up train stations in London or buildings in New York. We knew this summer was going to be tough fighting ... we still have a long way to go."

The emotive images of the soldiers' coffins being repatriated have intensified pressure on ministers to show the loss of life is for a cause that can be won.

There is also growing sensitivity in Whitehall to charges that lives are being put at risk because of attempts in the Treasury to rein in spending.

An MoD source confirmed that ministers were "re-examining" troop numbers in Helmand following the bloodiest day for UK ground troops since the start of current operations. "Troop levels are under review. They could go up, depending on events on the ground," said a defence spokesman. It is believed that the maximum extra deployment would be 2,000.

Last month, military chiefs were dismayed to learn their requests for 2,000 more troops had been turned down because of a Treasury spending cap.

An extra 700 service personnel were recently sent to Helmand province on a temporary basis to provide security ahead of Afghanistan's presidential elections next month. This takes the total British force to nearly 9,000.

In his Sky News interview, Obama said: "The likelihood of a terrorist attack in London is just as high, if not higher, than it is in the US, that's why Tony Blair and now Gordon Brown have made this commitment. It is not because they wish to put their young men and women in harm's way."

In a letter released to Commons select committee chairmen before an appearance before parliament's liaison committee this week, Brown said the past few days had been "extraordinarily difficult", but also made clear that troop numbers could be raised to build on successes against the Taliban. "We will, of course, continue to review our force levels, based on the advice of our commanders and discussions with allies," he wrote.

The apparent willingness to consider sending more troops will be seen as a sign of Brown's determination to show real progress in Afghanistan before the general election. Obama is also known to have told commanders he wants demonstrable results within a year.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Tory foreign secretary, said Brown had no option but to order the MoD to loosen financial controls: "The needs of combat operations are always additional to normal MoD funding. We did not defeat Hitler by deciding what we could afford."

Leftwing Labour MP Jon Cruddas today calls on ministers to scrap plans for the new multibillion-pound Trident missile system and to switch resources to "protect soldiers on the frontline".

Nick Harvey, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said that patience with the Afghanistan mission was limited: "The public will understand us making sacrifices if there is a sense of progress, but if there is no sign of it soon they will become impatient."

Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, said: "The price of failure is too great to contemplate. But we must give our armed forces the equipment they need. The decision to cut the helicopter budget in 2004 was disastrous"